Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73
§9023 Emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits
Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 116— - CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC STABILIZATION (CARES ACT) › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROVISIONS › § 9023
Summary
States may make an agreement with the Secretary of Labor to add extra federal money to weekly unemployment payments. A State can quit the agreement with 30 days’ written notice. Under an agreement, the State pays regular benefits as usual but adds two federal boosts: the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and the Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation. FPUC was $600 for weeks after an agreement began and ending on July 31, 2020, and $300 for weeks after December 26, 2020 (or after the agreement date, if later) and ending on September 6, 2021. Mixed Earner gives an extra $100 for people who had at least $5,000 of self‑employment income in their most recent tax year. The extra money can be paid with the normal weekly benefit or separately each week. States must verify self‑employment income before paying the $100. The federal government pays States 100 percent of those extra payments plus extra admin costs, either in advance or by reimbursement, with monthly estimates adjusted later. If a State reduces its normal benefit weeks or average weekly benefit below what it paid on January 1, 2020, the Secretary can stop the agreement. If someone knowingly lies to get these extra payments, they become ineligible, may face prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001, and must repay the money to the State unless the State waives repayment for no fault and hardship. States recover overpayments by deductions for up to 3 years, but only after notice, a chance for a hearing, and a final determination. The rules treat several benefit types (extended, regular, pandemic assistance, pandemic emergency, and short‑time) as “regular” for these provisions.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §9023
Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Any State which desires to do so may enter into and participate in an agreement under this section with the Secretary of Labor (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”). Any State which is a party to an agreement under this section may, upon providing 30 days’ written notice to the Secretary, terminate such agreement.
(b)(1)Any agreement under this section shall provide that the State agency of the State will make payments of regular compensation to individuals in amounts and to the extent that they would be determined if the State law of the State were applied, with respect to any week for which the individual is (disregarding this section) otherwise entitled under the State law to receive regular compensation, as if such State law had been modified in a manner such that the amount of regular compensation (including dependents’ allowances) payable for any week shall be equal to—
(A)the amount determined under the State law (before the application of this paragraph), plus
(B)an additional amount equal to the amount specified in paragraph (3) (in this section referred to as “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation”), plus
(C)an additional amount of $100 (in this section referred to as “Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation”) in any case in which the individual received at least $5,000 of self-employment income (as defined in section 1402(b) of title 26) in the most recent taxable year ending prior to the individual’s application for regular compensation.
(2)Any Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation provided for in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be payable either—
(A)as an amount which is paid at the same time and in the same manner as any regular compensation otherwise payable for the week involved; or
(B)at the option of the State, by payments which are made separately from, but on the same weekly basis as, any regular compensation otherwise payable.
(3)(A)The amount specified in this paragraph is the following amount:
(i)For weeks of unemployment beginning after the date on which an agreement is entered into under this section and ending on or before July 31, 2020, $600.
(ii)For weeks of unemployment beginning after December 26, 2020 (or, if later, the date on which such agreement is entered into), and ending on or before September 6, 2021, $300.
(4)An agreement under this section shall include a requirement, similar to the requirement under section 9021(a)(3)(A)(iii) of this title, for the substantiation of self-employment income with respect to each applicant for Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation under paragraph (1)(C).
(c)(1)An agreement under this section shall not apply (or shall cease to apply) with respect to a State upon a determination by the Secretary that the method governing the computation of regular compensation under the State law of that State has been modified in a manner such that the number of weeks (the maximum benefit entitlement), or the average weekly benefit amount, of regular compensation which will be payable during the period of the agreement (determined disregarding any Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation) will be less than the number of weeks, or the average weekly benefit amount, of the average weekly benefit amount of regular compensation which would otherwise have been payable during such period under the State law, as in effect on January 1, 2020.
(2)In paragraph (1), the term “maximum benefit entitlement” means the amount of regular unemployment compensation payable to an individual with respect to the individual’s benefit year.
(d)(1)(A)There shall be paid to each State which has entered into an agreement under this section an amount equal to 100 percent of—
(i)the total amount of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation paid to individuals by the State pursuant to such agreement; and
(ii)any additional administrative expenses incurred by the State by reason of such agreement (as determined by the Secretary).
(B)Sums payable to any State by reason of such State’s having an agreement under this section shall be payable, either in advance or by way of reimbursement (as determined by the Secretary), in such amounts as the Secretary estimates the State will be entitled to receive under this section for each calendar month, reduced or increased, as the case may be, by any amount by which the Secretary finds that his estimates for any prior calendar month were greater or less than the amounts which should have been paid to the State. Such estimates may be made on the basis of such statistical, sampling, or other method as may be agreed upon by the Secretary and the State agency of the State involved.
(2)The Secretary shall from time to time certify to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment to each State the sums payable to such State under this section.
(3)There are appropriated from the general fund of the Treasury, without fiscal year limitation, such sums as may be necessary for purposes of this subsection.
(e)An agreement entered into under this section shall apply—
(1)to weeks of unemployment beginning after the date on which such agreement is entered into and ending on or before July 31, 2020; and
(2)to weeks of unemployment beginning after December 26, 2020 (or, if later, the date on which such agreement is entered into), and ending on or before September 6, 2021.
(f)(1)If an individual knowingly has made, or caused to be made by another, a false statement or representation of a material fact, or knowingly has failed, or caused another to fail, to disclose a material fact, and as a result of such false statement or representation or of such nondisclosure such individual has received an amount of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation to which such individual was not entitled, such individual—
(A)shall be ineligible for further Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation in accordance with the provisions of the applicable State unemployment compensation law relating to fraud in connection with a claim for unemployment compensation; and
(B)shall be subject to prosecution under section 1001 of title 18.
(2)In the case of individuals who have received amounts of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation to which they were not entitled, the State shall require such individuals to repay the amounts of such Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation to the State agency, except that the State agency may waive such repayment if it determines that—
(A)the payment of such Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation was without fault on the part of any such individual; and
(B)such repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience.
(3)(A)The State agency shall recover the amount to be repaid, or any part thereof, by deductions from any Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation payable to such individual or from any unemployment compensation payable to such individual under any State or Federal unemployment compensation law administered by the State agency or under any other State or Federal law administered by the State agency which provides for the payment of any assistance or allowance with respect to any week of unemployment, during the 3-year period after the date such individuals received the payment of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation to which they were not entitled, in accordance with the same procedures as apply to the recovery of overpayments of regular unemployment benefits paid by the State.
(B)No repayment shall be required, and no deduction shall be made, until a determination has been made, notice thereof and an opportunity for a fair hearing has been given to the individual, and the determination has become final.
(4)Any determination by a State agency under this section shall be subject to review in the same manner and to the same extent as determinations under the State unemployment compensation law, and only in that manner and to that extent.
(g)Each agreement under this section shall include provisions to provide that—
(1)the purposes of the preceding provisions of this section, as such provisions apply with respect to Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, shall be applied with respect to unemployment benefits described in subsection (i)(2) to the same extent and in the same manner as if those benefits were regular compensation; and
(2)the purposes of the preceding provisions of this section, as such provisions apply with respect to Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation, shall be applied with respect to unemployment benefits described in subparagraph (A), (B), (D), or (E) of subsection (i)(2) to the same extent and in the same manner as if those benefits were regular compensation.
(h)The monthly equivalent of any Federal pandemic unemployment compensation paid to an individual under this section shall be disregarded when determining income for any purpose under the programs established under titles XIX and title XXI 22 So in original. of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq., 1397aa et seq.).
(i)For purposes of this section—
(1)the terms “compensation”, “regular compensation”, “benefit year”, “State”, “State agency”, “State law”, and “week” have the respective meanings given such terms under section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note); and
(2)any reference to unemployment benefits described in this paragraph shall be considered to refer to—
(A)extended compensation (as defined by section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970);
(B)regular compensation (as defined by section 85(b) of title 26) provided under any program administered by a State under an agreement with the Secretary;
(C)pandemic unemployment assistance under section 9021 of this title;
(D)pandemic emergency unemployment compensation under section 9025 of this title; and
(E)short-time compensation under a short-time compensation program (as defined in section 3306(v) of title 26).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (h), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Titles XIX and XXI of the Act are classified generally to subchapters XIX (§ 1396 et seq.) and XXI (§ 1397aa et seq.), respectively, of chapter 7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables. section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970, referred to in subsec. (i)(1), (2)(A), is section 205 of Pub. L. 91–373, which is set out in a note under section 3304 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
Amendments
2021—Subsec. (b)(3)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 117–2, § 9013(b), substituted “
September 6, 2021” for “
March 14, 2021”. Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 117–2, § 9013(a), substituted “
September 6, 2021” for “
March 14, 2021”. 2020—Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(a)(1)(A), substituted “, plus” for period at end. Pub. L. 116–260, § 203(b)(1)(A), substituted “amount equal to the amount specified in paragraph (3)” for “amount of $600”. Subsec. (b)(1)(C). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(a)(1)(B), added subpar. (C). Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(b)(1)(A), inserted “or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation” after “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 116–260, § 203(b)(1)(B), added par. (3). Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(a)(2), added par. (4). Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(b)(1)(A), inserted “or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation” after “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation”. Subsec. (d)(1)(A)(i). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(b)(1)(B), inserted “and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation” after “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–260, § 203(a), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “An agreement entered into under this section shall apply to weeks of unemployment— “(1) beginning after the date on which such agreement is entered into; and “(2) ending on or before
July 31, 2020.” Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(b)(1)(A), inserted “or Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation” after “Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation” wherever appearing. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 116–260, § 261(b)(1)(C), substituted “provide that—” and pars. (1) and (2) for “provide that the purposes of the preceding provisions of this section shall be applied with respect to unemployment benefits described in subsection (i)(2) to the same extent and in the same manner as if those benefits were regular compensation.” Subsec. (i)(2)(E). Pub. L. 116–260, § 203(b)(2), added subpar. (E).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
State’s Right of Non-Participation Pub. L. 116–260, div. N, title II, § 261(c), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 1962, provided that: “Any State participating in an agreement under section 2104 of the CARES Act [15 U.S.C. 9023] may elect to continue paying Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation under such agreement without providing Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation pursuant to the
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 9025 of this title]. Such
Amendments
shall apply with respect to such a State only if the State so elects, in which case such
Amendments
shall apply with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after the later of the date of such election or the date of enactment of this section [Dec. 27, 2020].” Technical Correction for the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana IslandsCommonwealth Only Transitional Workers to be considered qualified aliens under section 1641 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality, for purposes of eligibility for a benefit under this section, see section 265 of div. N of Pub. L. 116–260, set out as a note under section 9021 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 9023
Title 15 — Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73